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Tabitha Darling is not blind, but she is legally blind, which means Federal Law allows her ride her "service animal" into Target.

Quote:

"I do think there should be an allowance for comfort and therapy animals, simply because who are we to judge when somebody needs something?" Darling asked.

Carolyn Finefrock is blind, uses a dog to get through life, and objects to the expansion of the "service animal" list.

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Finefrock is concerned that an expanding list of service animals — from snakes to ferrets — are used by people who may not really need them. "Are they disabled enough to have the right? Are they disabled at all? Are they faking?" she asked.

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"It is a very touchy situation," said Charlotte Steward, an advocate for the rights of the disabled. She is opposed to any changes. "If you need that to feel comfortable or secure in yourself, or to deal with your disability, why shouldn't you be able to?" "It's just like using a walker or a cane, in my opinion, to get around in the community," Steward said.

Hmmm, riding your horse inside Target is the same as using a walker/cane?
As far as I know, walkers don't shit, bite, kick or step on people.

Maybe because I grew up with the accepted notion of seeing eye dogs for the blind, but that doesn't bother me at all. And therapy animals visiting nursing homes/hospitals, I have no problem with, great idea.
But I also grew up with horses and don't think they belong in stores.

For me the whole, "comfort and therapy" critters in the stores and malls is pushing it. Does that mean I can take my rattlesnake to the store because it makes me more confident?

What's not clear from the article is how well the horse is actually trained. If it's trained as well as a seeing-eye dog, then it doesn't bite, shit, kick or step on people either. And if it doesn't, then that horse is totally fine in my book. In fact, in many ways it is a better solution than the dog, because the horse offers physical protection from harm - by being large, and by being faster than an attacker.

xoxoxoBruce Sunday Apr 26 03:04 AM

Protection shouldn't be an issue inside the store.
That Target store is in Texas but I've never seen any store in the northeast with aisles that wide. Up here you can screw things up with one shopping cart.

Cyber Wolf Sunday Apr 26 05:37 AM

Never heard of a horse being trained not to drop a load, solid or liquid, where- and whenever it feels the need. But this should take care of that issue. No need to stoop or scoop. Doesn't appear she's got one on that horse though...

SPUCK Sunday Apr 26 05:48 AM

Tabitha Darling = Dipwad

Aliantha Sunday Apr 26 05:58 AM

Yeah...I don't think horses belong in stores.

Griff Sunday Apr 26 07:23 AM

Bonifacio Sunday Apr 26 09:44 AM

Assistance/Service horse?

Actually, they've been training miniature horses as service animals for quite a while now. They can do a lot for folks with disabilities.

The biggest advantage to them over a dog is that they live a lot longer. Training a licensed service animal is a big investment of time and money. So service training agency can offer a lot more with a trained horse.

But this seems - well - a little over the top...

capnhowdy Sunday Apr 26 10:16 AM

Like most everything else in America, a great idea goes to shit because everybody wants to jump the bandwagon. A line has to be drawn somewhere.
"If he can have a dog in a store, why can't I have a pony?"
"If he can take his pony in the store, why can't I take my horse?"
"If he can take his horse, why can't I take a bull?"

Who will have the right of way, the horses or the lazy, fat motherfuckers on those goddam scooters?

How do you define handicapped? Maybe stupidity is an illness.

Pie Sunday Apr 26 11:01 AM

It is. Just not a terminal one.

dar512 Sunday Apr 26 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pie

It is. Just not a terminal one.

I have to disagree here, Pie. It is terminal in more advanced cases. Subtle indications like the line, "Hold my beer and watch this." will often indicate that the disease has progressed.sweetwater Sunday Apr 26 01:46 PM

I'm glad the horse can take her to and from the stores, but it does not belong inside a store, out of concern for the other shoppers and especially the rider. The link shows a photo of her on horseback going through the doors. No helmet. I'd like to introduce her to a former coworker who is seriously brain damaged from thunking her head in the barn while astride her beloved, longtime, calm, well-trained horse. Except for that one time, you know.

Razzmatazz13 Sunday Apr 26 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by capnhowdy

Like most everything else in America, a great idea goes to shit because everybody wants to jump the bandwagon. A line has to be drawn somewhere.
"If he can have a dog in a store, why can't I have a pony?"
"If he can take his pony in the store, why can't I take my horse?"
"If he can take his horse, why can't I take a bull?"

Who will have the right of way, the horses or the lazy, fat motherfuckers on those goddam scooters?

"WAIT! What do you mean I can't just drive my car through the aisles? I NEED TO PICK OUT MY NEW SWIMSUIT, but walking is for losers. Heh, look at you, you walking loser you."Elspode Sunday Apr 26 03:57 PM

I am, of course, all for anything that helps the disabled live a more normal life. However, I will say that *anything* that is subject to interpretation in any way will inevitably be taken to the maximum extreme every time.

capnhowdy Sunday Apr 26 05:05 PM

I never figured out why SOME of the folks that use the 'instore scooters' can walk right up from across the parking lot into the store, get up and down to reach the upper shelf items, leave the scooter right in the way, and stroll back to their car. What if everyone was that lazy? Talk about a serious traffic jam.....
NEWSFLASH
This is my missive. Not the gospel of St. Right.

Aliantha Sunday Apr 26 07:36 PM

Are you kidding me??? People get scooters to go around the shops in over there??????!!!! I can't believe the laziness of some people.

I know you can hire wheelchairs at large shopping malls here and I did this a number of times when my Mum was sick but wanted to get out of the house, and another time when she had a broken leg, but seriously, to get a scooter just because you're either lazy or fat or both is unbelievable.

Seriously

capnhowdy Sunday Apr 26 08:14 PM

They have 4-5 of them at the store entrance. Almost all your bigger stores. Wal Mart, Kroger, etc.

I mean, it's not like someone's there checking for handicapped papers... you see 'em and want one, grab it.

dar512 Sunday Apr 26 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aliantha

Are you kidding me??? People get scooters to go around the shops in over there??????!!!!

It's a corner in Wal-Mart Bingo.Gravdigr Monday Apr 27 12:06 AM

classicman Monday Apr 27 12:26 AM

Yup - just like this one

ZenGum Monday Apr 27 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by corydodt

If it's trained as well as a seeing-eye dog, then it doesn't bite, shit, kick or step on people either. .

On that rationale, we'd be banning toddlers, too. Sounds good to me!

I'm not keen on the comfort animal idea. There are some people phobic of various animals, including horses. One person's comfort animal is another person's debilitating nightmare.

Gettit? nightmare? heheheeBabs Monday Apr 27 05:47 AM

No one else thinks it seems dangerous to ride bareback when you're blind? Blindness does mess with your balance, right?

capnhowdy Monday Apr 27 08:30 AM

It's an attention whore riding an attention horse.

spudcon Monday Apr 27 09:27 AM

(snip)Who will have the right of way, the horses or the lazy, fat motherfuckers on those goddam scooters?(snip)
You insensitive bastard. I was a lazy, fat motherfucker on 9/11.

Clodfobble Monday Apr 27 10:44 AM

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Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

That Target store is in Texas but I've never seen any store in the northeast with aisles that wide.

Yep... every Target I've ever been in has aisles like that. They're great because the kids can't reach out and knock crap off the shelves.wolf Monday Apr 27 02:37 PM

You also don't have to turn sideways to inch past another customer in the same aisle.

classicman Monday Apr 27 02:53 PM

In a target near here you cannot get your cart through the end of a few aisles as there is a post in the way. It is absolutely insane.

wolf Monday Apr 27 05:54 PM

I know that they can train racehorses to pee on command for doping testing, not sure if you can make them poop when you want them too.

Horses are not renowned for their intelligence.

Aliantha Monday Apr 27 09:22 PM

The Target isles over here are very close together. Most of the time it's not even worth trying to get the trolley down the side isle. Leave it in the main isle to block up passage for the other trolley users.

SPUCK Tuesday Apr 28 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolf

Horses are not renowned for their intelligence.

Doesn't take a lot to sneak up on a blade of grass...Kingswood Friday May 1 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetwater

I'm glad the horse can take her to and from the stores, but it does not belong inside a store, out of concern for the other shoppers and especially the rider.